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Inherent Vice (2014)
Watched Inherent Vice again for what I think is the sixth time, after having read the source novel by Thomas Pynchon for the first time. The film (and book) follows doped-up private investigator Larry "Doc" Sportello through a mystery involving his former girlfriend, Shasta Fay Hepworth. Shasta is now now the girlfriend of billionaire real-estate mogul Mickey Wolfmann, and want him to prevent plans by Mickey's wife and her lover to have Mickey committed to a mental institution. When Mickey and Shasta both disappear, Doc must find out what has happened. What follows is really five different plots, which somehow connects to each other.
The book is fantastic; it's funny, very well written, and simply put a great mix of a noir-y crime mystery, 60/70's paranoia and a lot of pop culture references. It's also a novel which isn’t always easy to follow, and can easily leave you as confused as a stoned Doc is throughout. The book was an easy 10/10 reading experience for me, and I was curious how watching the film straight after putting down the book would be.
As with any adaptation, there are certain things that are left out, like sequences you'd love to see on screen, or sequences that are heavily shortened. Some characters are also left out, and some get little screen time compared to the book. For a film that can already be difficult enough to follow on first or even second viewing, you can understand Paul Thomas Anderson for leaving elements out of the film. Having now read the book however, I'm left thinking how this adaptation would have looked like as a 4 part mini-series instead, where all the great elements from the novel would have been given more screen time. The film is still wonderful though, and manages to be a very good adaptation of the source material.
9/10 (with one point missing for the simple fact that there are many elements from the novel which could have been included).
Tourist Trap: Uncut 1979 an early role for Tanya Roberts in a weird and very creepy 70's slasher about a telekinetic psychopath who is obsessed by mannequins.
Love this movie.
It's the first time I have watched it, it was on Shudder and noticed Tanya starred in it. It's certainly different, it echos Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho.
I haven’t seen the film, but she always puts in strong work. She’s got a very unique look and really uses those eyes of hers. A great young talent.
Good film, saw it years ago. I remembered the overall story, I just couldn't remember how it ended.
In the few films of hers that I have seen thus far, she has shined in all of them. I haven't seen that one yet though.
I don’t really have much to say except that I want that Hour and 15 minutes of my life back.
---
I last watched:
Simpatico (1999)
Master Gardener (2022)
Not the greatest slasher, but a bit of a classic nevertheless, and certainly entertaining enough. Also, I love to watch and enjoy films that Gene 'sourpuss' Siskel was too prudish and wimpy to endure, poor guy. :-D
Up next: "Laundry daaaaay!"...
I think Graffiti came to fruition because Francis Ford Coppola challenged Lucas saying he couldn’t make a film that was more down to earth and humorous than what THX was. Lucas proved him wrong.
You're exactly right, I was reading up on that this morning. He was challenged to make something much more mainstream and nailed it.
He really did. That’s why I’d argue that Grafiti is his most personal film, even more than Star Wars. Lucas just basically put his adolescence on screen.
I feel like we got a wave of similar films last year too, where directors were bringing their own youthful experiences and subjective nostalgia to the screen.
Haha, I read the title and your name and I excitedly anticipated the inevitable Gene Siskel reference. A "Siskel hate-a-thon" sounds like a fun idea.
I hope so. I’d love to have another “New Hollywood” era, some of my favorite films of all time came out of that period in the late 60s and 70s.
@mattjoes
Yeah, I cannot help it. I suppose Zombie Siskel and I shall never see horror-related things eye to eye. ;-) Except regarding The Thing, which he liked against all odds.
And also, I gotta thank the beautiful few of you who finally convinced me to check out Frankenheimer's The Train - what brilliance that was. I'm glad he and Lancaster connected in their vision for the film and he managed to come in after production began and crush it with his vision. Those aerial raids and bombardments were chest-pounding sights. Jean Tournier once again proves why he was a genius DP and the film has one of the all-time greatest Dutch angle shots I've ever experienced.
Glad you're getting to see films that have always been among my favourites, like 'Zulu', and 'The Train' (Arthur Penn was the original Director, before Frankenheimer took over!) Both have good stories, great performances, and thrilling action. A lot of modern day action blockbuster directors would do well to look at these films to see how it should be done!
The Train is a great war film, though perhaps not as well-known today as it should be.
I used to watch this regularly during Summer holidays! And I have it, plus 'Jour de Fete' in my dvd collection! But last Sunday week, it turned up unexpectedly on the Talking Pictures channel ( a channel I regularly tune into for some hidden gems, now that TCM has gone!!)
The great Jacques Tati stars as the eccentric Hulot, holidaying in a little town, and bringing charm and havoc to the local guests! Little dialogue, but wonderful sound effects ( the swinging door is a hoot!) it is essentially a load of comic set pieces with no discernible plot, but I still love it. I only have to hear the opening bars of music to put a smile on my face! Am wondering are they showing a season, as Sunday just gone they screened...
Jour de Fete (1949)
Tati plays a different character, no less bumbling, maybe not as charming as Hulot. Francois is the local postman, who tries to compete with new modern American postal deliveries. Not quite as good as 'Holiday', to fill out the scant story, Francois's comical escapades coincide with the arrival in the town of a Carnival. Some good sequences though, such as when Francois gets drunk, and tries to cycle home, and the frenetic finale, as he speeds up his delivery, while getting caught up in a bicycle race!
I especially don't share his Connery-centric view of James Bond films.
Me neither. Siskel had a very narrow view of things.
I yet have to get around my first Tati. I still have the dvd of Mon Oncle ready here next to my Blu-ray player.
Agreed. And I'll add that more people should learn about Lancaster's entire body of work. Towering when you think about it.
Back in 2021, we actually had a thread devoted to the films of Burt Lancaster.
https://www.mi6community.com/discussion/comment/1185340#Comment_1185340
Lads, not for nothing, but I'm happy that I'm not the only one who can appreciate a good classic. Here's to you!
The Swimmer freaked me out. It's a deep flick....